


Deal.

by Jack_Francis_Kelly



Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:21:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27862993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jack_Francis_Kelly/pseuds/Jack_Francis_Kelly
Summary: Jack takes Pulitizer's deal but it doesn't go the way it did in canon
Relationships: Jack Kelly/Katherine Plumber Pulitzer, Racetrack Higgins & Jack Kelly
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Deal.

Jack sat long in Pulitizers basement, thinking long and hard about the offer he was given. Either way the boys would hate him, and he had to process that. It was either they hate him while all locked up in jail where he could possibly end up dead, or they hate him when he’s far away in Santa Fe. He could finally go. There was just one more factor he had to think about, Katherine. He liked her more than he’s ever liked anyone in the entire world. The problem was, he couldn’t have her. If he was seen near her Pulitizer would make sure it stopped. If he took the deal it would be different. He’d be on Pulitizer’s side, he could be with Katherine. He hugged his hat and got himself to sleep. The next morning he was taken back up to Pulitizer’s office, Oscar and Morris still had a firm grip on him in case he tried to break away and run, although, he’d never dare with Snyder standing in the room. 

“How’d you sleep Mr. Kelly.”

“Honestly coulda been betta Joe.” He shrugged. 

“Did you think about my offer?”

“Long n’ hard.” He said half sarcastically.

“And what did you conclude?”

“Well, the boys are gonna hate me eitha way. I’s either gonna be the cause of all of us goin’ ta jail or I’s gonna stab them in the back. Neither are ideal. Oh also the fact that if I go back ta jail theres a chance I ain’t makin it out. So I think the smartest move has gotta be takin’ yer money.”

“That’s not a bad head you’ve got on your shoulders.” He said. Jack rolled his eyes. 

“Deal?” The boy asked. 

“Deal.” And they shook hands. 

* * *

The rally hurt Jack more than he’d care to admit. He expected insults. He expected to hear they hated him. He was expecting them to be furious. He expected to get hit a lot more than Spot’s push. What hurt most were the looks on Davey, Les and Race’s faces. Davey looked heartbroken, like a part of him had died with the strike. Les at first thought Jack was joking up until he was almost struck by the older boy, and Race looked like he was fighting back an ocean of tears. His big brother, the person he’s looked up to his entire life, just sold them all out. They were all stabbed in the back by the one person they never expected it from. 

He went back to the rooftop just as devastated as the kids, but he had to pack and get out of there before he was hurt. What he didn’t expect to see was Katherine. 

“Plumber I-”

“Why Jack.”

“Why?! You heard yer fatha! I didn’t have much of another choice…”

“But we could have figured it out-”

“Look at it from a positive angel… Plum-”

“Positive angel? Who are you… you’re not the Jack I know.”

“Still the same Jack. And yes, positive angel.”

“What positive angel? Jack you single handedly killed the strike and upset everyone!”

“Strike was nothin’ more than a pipe dream… be realistic, we didn’t stand a chance against yer dad.”

“What did he do to you..?”

“Nothing. He just let me think fer myself fer once.”

“Jack.”

“Plus! Now that I did it… your dads gonna hate me a lot less and maybe we could-” She pulled away. 

“Maybe we could what Jack?! Be together?!”

“...Yeah I-”

“Forget it Jack.”

“But… Kath I-”

“Jack. We could have made it work. I don’t care about what my father thinks. You clearly didn’t until a day ago. But… I don’t want to be with you after you just turned on everyone. Besides, you’re going to Santa Fe anyway aren’t you?”

“I-”

“Look Jack. I adored you. I thought you were the cutest, the way your eyes lit up when you had an idea… or how you always had an arm around one of the boys. Then you went and did this.”

“Kath-”

“You’re honestly the last person I’d expect this from. Have fun in Santa Fe Cowboy.” She said. His eyes filled up as she left. He grabbed all his things, every drawing, his blanket, his pillow. Everything he owned. He went to head out. 

“Why’d you do it?” He heard a broken voice, Race. Race who was sobbing. “Everyones pissed Jack. I’s the only one trying to figure out why you did it. Why would you-”

“I was given two options. I chose the better one. You’d all hate me either way.”

“How bad was the other option then?! You sold us out and are leaving us! You’s running away! Like a coward!” He said. Jack had fire in his eyes.

“I’m not a fucking coward.”

“You are Jack. You sold us out and you’re running, just like a coward.”

“No-”

“How many times have Oscar and Morris ran away from a fight with you and you called them a coward?” 

“I-”

“Whatever Jack. Get lost. Hope you have fun in Santa Fe and find the family you’ve always wanted, since we clearly weren’t good enough.” He said. Jack’s heart shattered. 

“You’d hate me either way Antonio...” He said, he couldn’t bring himself to call the boy the nickname. 

“Did you just… Did you call me Antonio…? Really? No one hates you, Sullivan. Can’t you get that through your thick skull! We’s upset!”

“...Sullivan..?”

“Go away.”

“Fine. Bye.” He said. As soon as he left, both boys bursted into tears. Jack sobbed his way to Pulitizers. Katherine was in his office. Which quickly embarrassed him. He tried rubbing his eyes. 

“Ah Mr.Kelly, come in, come in..” The man said. He listened.

“Crying are we now?”

“No.” He rubbed his eyes. 

“Katherine was too.”

“Father!-”

“Out now darling. We’ll continue the talk at home.” He said. She left. 

“You broke my daughters heart.” He said. He sounded mad.

“You… you’re the one who made me?”

“You could have let her down easy.”

“How EASILY could I let her down when I stabbed everyone in the back!”

“Well you’re worked up too aren’t you?”

“I lost my friends. I lost the only family I know. I lost everything except Santa Fe.”

“And all your hope is pinned on Santa Fe.” He said. The boy nodded. “Do you have a place to stay?” He shook his head. “Come back to my place Kelly, just for the night, we’ll send you off tomorrow.”

‘But…. Kath ha-”

“Come.” He said. Jack obeyed. 

“Why’s he here.” Katherine said as soon as they walked in. 

“Not safe anywhere else. Sit boy.”

“I-”

“Katherine you too.” He said. She listened. 

“You two are done.”

“He’s a backstabber.”

“My other option was years of being locked up and hurt.” He muttered. 

“You could break out again!”

“Have you ever been there Katherine? No? That’s what I thought. He wouldn’t ever leave me alone after the last stunt I pulled. He’d kill me.”

“We could have figured it out.”

“You’re being stubborn Katherine. Put yourself in my shoes okay!? You’s alone, you find out the girl you like is the daughter of what you're up against! The man who kicked the shit out of me growing up. I was scared Katherine? Is that what you wanna hear!? I never ever say that. I was scared! I get scared!” He said. Pulitzer had left them alone at this point. 

“Jack that's why you should have talked to us! You don’t think we KNOW you get scared? Everyone does! You just-”

“I just what?!”

“Nothing.”

“No. Say it. I just what.”

“You want to believe you’re stronger than you are.”

“No I-”

“You do.”

“I don’t!” He stood up.

“Yes you do!” She stood up after, clenching her fists. He laughed.

“Yeah? Do it. I deserve it don’t I? Made Race sob his eyes out. Made you cry. I don’t even know what I did to everyone else. Do it.” He said. She looked angry. He closed his eyes ready for the hit but ended up shocked when he felt her grab his face and connect her lips with his, 

“Woah.” He said dumbfounded. She turned away. “What was that.”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know-”

“I don’t know Jack! You opened up about being scared so now I open up! I like you okay? I can't help that you're charming and a sweetheart, and I’ll say it, you’re attractive! But I obviously can’t have you! Especially since you're running away!”

“So come with me- nevermind that's crazy.”

“Just stay.”

“And what? Be homeless? The boys won’t ever forgive me. Especially not after my fight with Race.”

“You're their brother. They will.”

“And what about the strike huh? Killed that. There's nothing left for me in New York. I have to go to Santa Fe.”

“Jack, do you genuinely believe everything will be better there?” 

“Yeah…”

“You really believe you’ll get there and someone will say ‘welcome home son’?”

“I mean…”

“I don’t want you to be disappointed Jack...”

“I have absolutely nothing without Santa Fe. I NEED it to work.”

“You have me. You will have those boys.”

“I’m going to Santa Fe Kath… just… please come visit.”

“I will.”

“For sure?”

“For sure.”

He slept on the couch, waking up and ready to go. Katherine wasn’t there, probably at work this early. He went to the train station. Despite everything the newsies showed up. Katherine made sure of it. He explained everything, breaking down along the way. They all hugged him and begged him not to go but it was too late. He had to. 

He wanted to.

Right?

This  _ is  _ what he's talked about since he was a little boy. He could have a family there. The problem was he didn’t realize he had his own family right in New York. He was on his way.

_ Just hold on kid, ‘til that train makes Santa Fe _

**Author's Note:**

> remember when id post every day earlier this year lol. well,, its been a month, things have been crazy!! but hi!!!


End file.
